Hinduism When I first started to read about the Hinduism religion I was not sure what to expect. I have heard about the religion but did not know much about it. What I learned about it was fascinating and caused me to reflect on just how different the religions of the world are. We do not know when Hinduism was founded by whom. It has been said to have always existed. It has been traced to the olden Indus Valley civilization.
In Hinduism some of the things I found most fascinating is that the idea of God in Hindu is compounded and how they worship. There is one Supreme God and his form is unlimited. The Supreme God’s qualities and forms are represented by the numerous deities that stem from him. The deities God can form can be either male or female, allowing Hindus to pray to a god or goddess. The individual can choose of which god/goddess they want to pray to. Different factors determine who they pray to, such as whether they are experiencing difficult obstacles in life or if there is a special holiday occurring. Prayer is referred to as Puja. Puja happens daily and can be done multiple times a day
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I thought that, like many other religions, there was a desirable and undesirable place to go to after death. Hindus do not believe in a heaven or hell. They believe in rebirth and this happens depending on their karma. Karma is the computation of a person’s actions. An individual’s karma will decide on what they will be reincarnated as in their next life. Their goal in life is to become one with Brhaman and this happens when there is no more karma. There is no more rebirth and karma has equalized, meaning it has balanced. The person is immersed into Brahma and they are forever with the ultimate. An example of this is how a river flows into an ocean. This stage is called Moksha and that is the ultimate
Hinduism and Buddhism, worship multiple deities and they follow the same path to achieve the Nirvana state which is a place where all the enlightened are. The Buddha’s teaching help is regularly summarized in the four respectable Truths, which type those premises of the 1st sermon he conveyed then afterward achieving enlightenment, and the eightfold Path, which gives a fundamental aide to how to live in the world. . Over
One of the most important elements in history is religions. The Hindu religion arguably began around 2,500 years before the Common Era (B.C.E.) in India. It was geographically based along the Indus River, which was called “Hindu” which the Persians named when they migrated to India. They also called the land Hindustan and its residents, Hindus. After that, the religion that had followed was called Hinduism. Today, almost around 800 million people practice the Hindu religion around the world.
Hinduism is made of many different religions and does not have one origin or single founder. The religion of Hinduism is very old, “300-100 B.C.E.--- The first trace of temple worship. Hindu people worship at the shrine, where Hindus make offerings to a murti. A murti is a statue of a god or goddess” (McMillan). In addition, other religions are based off Hinduism, “5000-10000 B.C.---Hinduism can be traced back to 5000-10000 B.C. Hinduism is a very old religion, many religions are based off of Hinduism, like Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism” (McMillan).
Hinduism, also known by the name Sanatana-Dharma, is often referred to as the “oldest religion” in the world, is generally considered to be an ethnic religion and is fundamentally based on the religion of the original Aryan settlers. “Hinduism, from the Persian Hindi (Sanskrit sindhu), literally "river." Means "of the Indus Valley" or simply "Indian." Hindus call their religion sanatama dharma,"eternal religion" or "eternal truth” (“Facts on Hinduism”). It was founded around 3000 BCE, and is now considered to be the third largest religion in the world. Followers of Hinduism, which is estimated to be anywhere around 900 million, are especially concentrated in India, Nepal, and other countries throughout Asia. The broader world contact that has occurred since World War II allowed various forms of Hinduism to become more widely known and accepted. The multiple Hindu sects, including the Krishna Consciousness, have been particularly successful among young American and Europeans and claims to be adherent around the world. Hinduism is dissimilar compared to other religions, in the fact that it has no founders. This religion is considered to be permissive in creed or code as it is not necessarily coordinated in any way, even though various sects and cults are formulated. This religion is especially known for its tolerance because it is willing to accommodate those who are exceptionally religious; whether it be a Jew, Christian, or Muslim as a part of their religion. Hinduism is very transformable and accepts elements of different religion. Overtime it has even developed different aspects of both Christianity and Buddhism and incorporated them into the religion of Hinduism. Hinduism worships a multiplicity of gods; the most important in...
From a monistic point of view, there is only one ultimate power and in Hinduism this would be Brahman (Brodd 2016). In a dualistic point of view, they understand divine reality as God, a personal being separate from the rest of reality; they believe devotion to God is possible (Brodd 2016). Dualists also believe in the worship of deities such as Shiva, who is known as the destroyer ( Pscchaida 9/19/16). In order to reach moksha for a dualistic hindu, the journey is associated with their God whether its Vishnu, Shiva, or any other God of their choice (Brodd 2016). For any Hindu regardless if they are monistic or dualistic, they may follow one of the three paths called “margas or yogas, each one has its own set of practices that are tailored to certain personality traits or life decisions” (Brodd et al., 2016 p.99). The first one, Karma marga, is “designed for those who are engaged in the activities of family and career, which emphasizes ritual and ethic work” (Brodd et al., 2016, p.99). The second marga, Bhakti marga, is “ for the vast majority of Hindus who regularly worship in temples and in their homes, is devotion to a deity” ( Brodd, et al., 2016, p.99) Most Hindu’s worship more than one deity depending on their personal preference , during festivals one may spend more time focusing on the deity that is celebrated during the festival (Brodd 2016). The third type of marga
Unlike most religions, Hinduism has no specific founder, scripture or set of teachings. Hinduism has over nine hundred million followers today. The history of Hinduism is that it was found in the Indus Valley and it is an oral religion. Hindu’s believe in the three gods named Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Brahma is believed to be the creator of the world and creatures.
One of the most important elements of these religions is their history. The Hindu religion disputably began around 2500 years before the Common Era (B.C.E.) in India. It was geographically based along the Indus River, which was called “Hindu” by the Persians who had migrated there. They also called the land Hindustan and it’s inhabitants, Hindus. After that, the religion that followed was called Hinduism. Today, almost 800 million people practice the Hindu religion (Spodek, 261)
Hinduism is unlike many other religions in that it does not have a single founder or text, but is more like an umbrella in ways of life. In death and life for the Hindu, “The ultimate goal of the soul is liberation from the wheel of rebirth, through reabsorption into our identity with the Oversoul (Brahma)-- the essence of the universe, immaterial, uncreated, limitless, and timeless” (Leming & Dickinson, 2011, p. 134). Susan Thrane MSN, RN, OCN discusses the beliefs of Hindu culture in the article “Hindu End of Life: Death, Dying, Suffering, and Karma” published in the Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing. Thrane (2010) states that there are almost 2.3 million Hindus in India. Hindu’s believe in interconnectedness, karma, and reincarnation.
... governing different aspects of Hindu everyday life. The three main gods in Hinduism are Vishnu who is the sustainer; Brahma is the creator and Shiva the destroyer. The Hindus pray to natural sources such as the sun and trees, while Buddhists only pray to Buddha.
Hinduism is a very unique religion; it is the oldest living religion and does not have a single founder unlike Buddhism. Hinduism
Hinduism is easily the oldest major world religion that is still in use today. It has not only survived countless attacks but has also thrived and has changed little to none in the last 2500-3000 years. "The Aryans are said to have entered India through the fabled Khyber Pass, around 1500 BC. They intermingled with the local populace, and assimilated themselves into the social framework. The Aryans did not have a script, but they developed a rich tradition. They composed the hymns of the four vedas, the great philosophic poems that are at the heart of Hindu thought" (The Aryans and the Vedic Age, 2004, par. 2).
“For thousands of years people have associated objects in the sky, the Earth, and aspects of their physical world with the gods and goddesses of their culture” (Windows Team, 2000, Mythology). The Hindu culture is no different with the association of several gods and goddesses acknowledged through their traditional worship. Worshipping the many gods and goddesses makes Hinduism difficult to comprehend the many elements of the tradition. The worship of many gods and goddesses is rooted in henotheism. “Belief in one god without denying the existence of others” (Yahooligans! Reference, 2000). This way of worship is what makes Hinduism complex and hard to understand.
Hindu’s believe that just as the traditional Christian God did, that all their Gods have taken a physical form to live here on Earth. There are many Gods and Goddess throughout Hinduism so I will focus on the three main ones. The most important of these Gods is Brahman. He is considered to be the one true God and the creator of everything. He is formless, limitless, and eternal, and is believed to be a real entity that encompasses everything, seen and unseen, in the universe (Srinivasan). The second member of the Hindu trinity is Vishnu. This God is the preserver, and he maintains the order and harmony to the universe, which is periodically created by Brahman and destroyed by Shiva (Srinivasan). He is worshipped in many forms and is an important, yet somewhat mysterious God. The third God of the trinity is Shiva who is the God in charge of destroying the universe to prepare for its renewal. Followers believe that any negative energy in the vicinity can be ridden by just the utterance of this God’s name. Devotion to specific Gods on based on the individual’s own life and growing up or needs they may need addressed. Although, even when only devotion of one God is given, the others are always acknowledged. Hindus believe that the Gods all exist in unseen worlds and that temple worship, rituals, sacraments, and personal devotions create a closeness to them (Nine Beliefs of
Hindu mythology has interesting theories on how the Earth was created and the reincarnation of people, Hinduism is very different to many other mythologies and has some unique key features that make it stand out from the rest. History tells that there are over 330 million gods in Hindu mythology. There are six main gods in Hinduism. Hindu’s have an interesting belief of what happens to them after death, the afterlife Hindus believe in must be met by accomplishing a goal. Hinduism is a unique belief in many gods, the life cycle and reincarnation of its people.
Jainism is another religion that I am not too familiar with. There are many Jains in our school, and I believe I actually signed up for a club about Jainism earlier this semester, yet I have still not learned anything about this religion until I started this research. Learning about these religions have helped provide me a new perspective and a better appreciation for what these faiths teach, and Jainism has been no exception. By further studying this religion, I have learned key values that I can apply to my life.